Cleaning apparatus.



E. C. STAFFORD.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAE. 6, 1909.

LSSD f Fatented Aug.20,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 n H if WITNESSES: INVENTOH E. C. STAFFORD.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 11.4.3.6, 1909.

lj. Patented Aug.20,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WiTNEssEs: aNvENToR AQLAQ?? TTnn sTATEgs TATTNT ermee.

EARL C. STAFFORD, OF WILKINSB'URG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARDSMALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND CHARLES ADUREN, 0F BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom, ifm/ay concem:

Be it known that I, EARL C. STAFFORD, residing at Wilkinsburg', in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the, UnitedStates, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvementsin Cleaning Apparatus, Dof which improvements the following is anspecification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements C inapparatus for cleaning floors, carpets, etc., and has for its object aconstruction and combination of parts or elements whereby the apparatusmay be employed to clean carpets, etc., the dirt being drawn up throughand from the carpet, or as a blowing apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a receptaclepermeable only by air for the collection of dirt and dust, suchreceptacle being capable of being removed with the contained dirt, etc.,and another substituted therefor.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure1 is a perspective view of my 'improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the vacuum chamber and exhaust pump on an enlarged scaleand Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the exhaust pump.

ln the practice of my invention the parts of the apparatus, consistingof an air pump' and vacuum chamber, are preferabl mounted on a truckV 1for convenience o moving the apparatus. rThe vacuum chamber 2 isconnected to the inlet of the air pump, which is preferably of therota`ry type, so that there will vbe a steady pull of air through thechamber 2. The head or cover 3 of the chamber has an air tight seat,preferably countersunk, as at 4, in a ring 5 which is seated on apacking ring 6 in a groove in the upper end of vacuum chamber 2, asshown 1n Fig. 2. l

The head or cover is provided on its under side with an annular flange 7projecting down into the vacuum chamber, and on its upper side withaninlet chamber 8, which is connected to the vacuum chamber by a port oropening 9 within the flange 7 The head or cover 1s rovidedv with anozzle 10 communicating with the inlet chamber and adapted to beconnected to a flexible pipe 11 when cleaning. Tn order to regulate thevacuum, a normally closed inlet valve is provided to admit air at somepoint between, the cleaning head and the exhaust apparatus. This valveis preferably adja- .cent to the inlet chamber 8 as for example 1n thenozzle 10, and consists of a shell 12 screwing into an opening in thenozzle and a valve 13 arranged to close in the inner end of the shell.The valve is held closed by a spring 14 surrounding the stem of thevalve and interposed between the end of the shell and a nut 15 screwingonto the stem.

The valve mechanism is so constructed that it is held closed by thespring 14 act- 1ng agamst atmospheric pressure on the valve, so that byadjusting the tension of the spring any deslred vacuum may be obtainedwithout varying the speed of the pump, and by pressing on the stem ofthe valve, the vacuum can be entirely destroyed or reduced to a minimum.

A dirt receptacle 16 permeable to air, but impermeable to dust or dirtis arranged in such manner within the chamber that the air drawn inthrough the nozzle must pass through the receptacle .on its way to thepump, so that any dust or dirt entering with the air, will be retainedby the receptacle and the receptacle held in operative or receptivecondition by the inflow of air. This receptacle is preferably formed o fa suitable fabric inthe form of a bagfand is detachably secured by'aspring ring 17 to the annular flange 7. f This construction permits ofthe easy removal of the receptacle, the cover being held in position byatmospherlc pressure. EX erience has shown that very fine particles odust will pass through a single thickness of material suiciently porousto permit of the passage of air. It has been attempted to overcome thisescape by employing1 two thicknesses ofA material in forming t ereceptacle, but it has been found that such a receptacle becomesclogged, and is very difficult to clean, the dust lodging between thetwo layers of cloth. By arrangmg the receiving receptacle 16 within asecondreceptacle 18 formed of material permeable to air, the walls ofthe receptacles being separated or out of contact, so that theretardation of the air caused in passing through the walls of the innerreceptacle may be overcome to some extent in the space vbetween the tworeceptacles.' As above stated when two receptacles formed Patented Aeg.2o, 1912.

distance that the air and particles carried through the first, canacquire a considerable velocity, it is found that some of the dust,l

etc., will be carried through the first and also through the second, dueto the velocity acquired between the two receptacles. This outerreceptacle may be supported in any suitable manner but is preferablysecured toA v a flange 19 on the ring y 5, supportingthis cover. This-construction permits of the easy removal of the outer receptacle forcleaning.

The inlet chamber 8 is preferably formed by a glass bell resting on apacking ring on the cover .3, and held in place by a rod 20 attached to.the cover and passing up through the bell, anda nut 21 screwing ontothe rod. By making the walls of the inlet transparent the operation ofthe apparatus can be watched, and the necessity of any7 changeimmediately determined.

It has heretofore been the practice to employ a centrifugal failincarpet cleaning apparatus, thus necessitating a high speed of rotationof the fan to obtain a sufficient vacuum to remove any dirt and with themost efficient fan a vacuum sufficientI to draw the dirt under thecarpet through the latter could not be Vobtained within reasonablelimits of operating expenses. In lieu of such fan I employ a positivelyoperating rotary pump and' can obtain any required vacuum by smallchanges in speed of the pump.

This pump consists of a shell or cylinder 22 having one head as 23,provided with a tubular bearing 24 eccentrically arranged, as shown inFig. 3. A blade o erating drum 25 is arranged within the cylinder andhas its journal 26 mounted in the bearing 24. The drum is made of such adiameter that when its journaln is mounted in the bearing 24, the outerperiphery of the drum will be nearly in contact with the inner peripheryof the cylinder for a short peripheral distance. The blades 27 areprovided at their inner ends with sleeves 28 for the reception.

of the supporting spindle 29, which has its slotted cylindrical blocks32 are mounted inv the slots in the drum, the blade passing through theslots in the blocks.

The pump may be operated by any suitable-motor preferably an electricmotor con- Sstructed to be operated by the usual incandescent lightcurrent. In cleaning carpets the flexible pipe having a suitable exhausthead 33 is'connected to the nozzle 11, but when the apparatus is to beused for blowing, a flexible pipe is attached to the outlet pipe 34 ofthe pump.

'I claim herein as my invention:

l. In a cleaning machine, the combination of a chamber provided withinlet and outlet ports or openings, depending receptacles havingpermeable walls arranged vin the chamber, one within but separated fromthe other, the receptacles being so arranged that the inlet port willdischarge into the inner receptacle, and means for maintaining apractically uniform flo/w df air through "the chamber and receptacles.I

2. In a cleaning machine, the combination of a chamber'provided withinlet and outlet ports or openings, depending receptacles havingpermeable walls arranged in the chamber, one within but separated fromthe other, the receptacles being so arranged that the inlet port willdischarge intothe inner receptacle, said outer receptacle being adapt--ed to be maintained separated from said inner receptacle by the flow ofair through said ports. v v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

' EARL C. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES BARNETr, EDWARD F. MosER.

